Kerr County, Texas, lead emergency management official says he was asleep during deadly flooding [View all]

Source: ABC News

Kerr County, Texas, lead emergency management official says he was asleep during deadly flooding

A county judge said it was "too late" to issue a Code Red evacuation alert.

ByBill Hutchinson
July 31, 2025, 4:48 PM ET
* 10 min read

For the first time since catastrophic flooding killed more than 100 people in Kerr County, Texas, the county emergency management director conceded that he was sick and asleep as the water rose to historic levels on the Guadalupe River.

William "Dub" Thomas, the Kerr County emergency management director since 2015, detailed his whereabouts during the crisis to the Texas House and Senate Select Committees on Disaster Preparedness and Flooding on Thursday in Kerrville, Texas.

Thomas said that after working a full day on July 2, he went home sick. He said at the time, no concerns had been raised about an elevated weather condition, "beyond what is typical for the region during the summer."


Trees emerge from flood waters along the Guadalupe River on July 4, 2025 in Kerrville, Texas. Heavy rainfall caused flooding along the Guadalupe River in central Texas with multiple fatalities reported.
Eric Vryn/Getty Images

Thomas said he stayed home sick on July 3 and did not participate in two meetings dealing with the Texas emergency management coordination center.

Thomas said his supervisors, including the Kerr County sheriff, were aware he was out sick.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/amp/US/kerr-county-texas-lead-emergency-management-official-asleep/story?id=124237644